KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 2 — Two former top officers of a FELDA subsidiary, Koperasi Permodalan FELDA Quality (KPFQ) Foods Sdn Bhd, were today charged with criminal breach of trust (CBT) over funds exceeding RM30 million.
Datuk Sarchu Sawal, 64, KPFQ’s former chief executive officer, was charged with committing CBT of over RM16,963,825 of the company’s funds through transactions involving 27 pieces of “banker’s acceptance”, which is a short-term loan facility.
Datuk Tan Han Kook, 59, then a director of KPFQ, was similarly charged with committing CBT of over RM13,164,955 of the company’s funds through transactions involving 20 “banker’s acceptance”.
Both pleaded not guilty when the charge under section 409 of the Penal Code was read out to them separately in the Sessions Court here.
If convicted, the duo can be sentenced to a jail term of not less than two years and not more than 20 years and whipping, and will also be liable to a fine.
The offences were allegedly carried out in August 2011 and February 2012.
Sarchu was released on RM2 million bail with two sureties and will be required to hand in his travel documents.
Tan’s bail was fixed at RM1 million with two sureties, and was also required to give up his travel documents.
The mention date for both was fixed for September 13.
Lawyers Harvinderjit Singh and William Leong Jee Keen represented the two accused.
When met later, lead prosecutor DPP Azlin Sabtu told reporters that the case is related to a food supply project for the Gedung Makanan Negara (National Food Bank).
Earlier this week, the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) arrested the duo together with a former chief operating officer to facilitate investigations into an unsuccessful food supply project.
Despite the pumping in over RM30 million, the project had reportedly failed.
All three men were then released on RM500,000 bail each after the MACC recorded their statements.
In December last year, Tan and former KPFQ chief operating officer Ching Siew Cheong claimed trial to 134 counts of cheating Maybank.
They had pleaded not guilty to charges that they had falsified documents to apply for “banker’s acceptance” amounting to over RM67 million.
